2IO The University of Calijoriiia Magazine. 



We left the Valley by the Coulterville trail, then, turning 

 to the eastward, climbed in long, wavering curves and zigzags 

 through the glorious forests of silver fir north of Yosemite, 

 across the dome-paved basin of Yosemite Creek, along the 

 southern slopes of Mt. Hoffmann, down into the bright, icy 

 basin of Lake Tenaya, over the Merced and Tuolumne divide 

 past a multitude of sublime glacial monuments, along many 

 a mile of smooth, flowery meadows, up Mt. Dana, and down 

 Bloody Caiion to the lake and gray plains and volcanoes of 

 Mono. How the beloved Professor enjoyed all this his own 

 story best tells. Sinewy, slender, erect, he studied the grand 

 show, forgetting all else, riding with loose, dangling rein, al- 

 lowing his horse to go as it liked. He had a fine poetic ap- 

 preciation of nature, and never tired of gazing at the noble 

 forests and gardens, lakes and meadows, mountains and 

 streams, displayed along the windings of the trail, calling at- 

 tention to this and that with buoyant, sparkling delight like 

 that of a child, keeping up running all-day lectures, as if trying 

 to be the tongue of every object in sight. On calm nights by 

 the campfire he talked on the lessons of the day, blending art, 

 science, and philosophy with whatever we had seen. Any one 

 of us, by asking a question on no matter what subject, made 

 his thoughts pour forth and shine like rain, quickening, ex- 

 citing mental action, appealing to all that is noblest in life. 



Our camp at Lake Tenaya was especially memorable. After 

 supper and some talk by the fire, Le Conte and I sauntered 

 through the pine groves to the shore and sat down on a big 

 rock that stands out a little way in the water. The full moon 

 and the stars filled the lake with light, and brought out the 

 rich sculpture of the walls of the basin and surrounding moun- 

 tains with marvelous clearness and beauty amid the shadows. 

 Subsiding waves made gentle heaving swells, and a slight 

 breeze ruffled the surface, giving rise to ever-changing pic- 

 tures of wondrous brightness. At first we talked freely, ad- 

 miring the silvery masses and ripples of light, and the mys- 

 tic, wavering dance of the stars and rocks and shadows re- 



